Opening cans in the kitchen

Among likes and followers, the Ricrea initiative, which sees steel packaging at the center of a project that combines practicality, attention to the environment and haute cuisine, is a hit on social media.

Among the many initiatives promoted by the Ricrea Consortium (a national non-profit consortium that deals with the recycling and recovery of steel packaging and is part of the CONAI system), the project “Un Rompiscatole in cucina”, literally in English “opening cans in the kitchen”.

This project aims to raise awareness among Italians about the sustainability of steel packaging present in our country in all kitchens: from tomato cans to tuna cans, from olive oil to beer bottle caps.

In ten years, “Un Rompiscatole in cucina" has collected on social pages a community of over 100,000 fans engaged in discussing and proposing original recipes, in which the ingredients stored in steel packaging are the undisputed protagonists: on Facebook and Instagram are in fact regularly published videos and imaginative recipes through the appointments “Healthy Monday” and the “Recipe save waste”. And that's not all.

A particularly appreciated column is the one featuring the “Monthly can": food bloggers and content creators who are passionate about cooking and propose delicious gourmet creations prepared with canned ingredients.

The success of this initiative demonstrates that looking at steel packaging from a different angle is a "mission possible" and that, even with tins, you can give free rein to your creativity in the kitchen by using them as a valid basis for sustainable, delicious, economical and healthy dishes.

Testimonials of circular economy and safety

Steel packaging, the most recycled in the world, is a perfect example of circular economy. From raw material to sorted waste, they are collected and sent for recycling to be born again and again to a new life; from their transformation it is possible to obtain railway tracks, benches, street furniture, rods for the building industry and many other products.

For over twenty years, Ricrea has been working side by side with companies, local administrations and citizens to spread the culture of recycling in an increasingly widespread and deep-rooted way, spreading good practices for a correct separate waste collection.

«Steel cans and jars have more than 200 years of history, but they are still an avant-garde product» explains President Domenico Rinaldini. «Hermetic, inviolable and long-lasting, steel packaging is synonymous with safety: it preserves all the flavor and nutritional principles of foods without the use of preservatives, protecting them from light and external agents. They are true safes of nature. And they are 100% infinitely recyclable».